Brendon Urie Talks Working With Taylor Swift & New Panic! at the Disco Music at BBMAs: Watch

Brendon Urie spoke with Billboard’s Keith Caulfield backstage at the 2019 Billboard Music Awards on Wednesday (May 1), chatting about his BBMAs wins, how his collaboration with Taylor Swift started with a text, and what’s next for Panic! at the Disco.

Speaking on taking home the awards for both top rock song for “High Hopes” and top rock album, Urie told Billboard, “It's daunting. It's very overwhelming in the best way, and I'm just so grateful, really. I'm so appreciative.”

Asked if winning these awards means more because they are based on chart performance and, therefore, fan support via record sales, he said it absolutely does. “There’s nothing more validating than the people who really care about your craft,” he shared. “I'm eternally grateful to my fans. There's no reason for me to be here without them. The only reason I get to do this is because they allow me to do this. They continue to love and support and it blows my mind in the best way possible and I am so happy.”

Urie also chatted about collaborating with Taylor Swift on her latest song “ME!” and their performance at the BBMAs. “I've been a fan of hers for a long time,” he explained. “The first time that we met, she's so personable…She's such a warm and welcoming person and the fact that she has a passion for the things she's doing just validates it for me that that's why this matters and this is why I feel so good, because I do the same.”

“I wanna inspire myself and my fans to do the same and she's incredible,” he continued. “We just had so much fun working on that song and her ideas for videos…She's really collaborative and just a blast to work with.”

Speaking of how the collaboration came about, Urie recalled that he was on tour in January when he received a text from Swift. “She texted me this very sweet long text,” he says. “I teared up at the end because I didn't expect something like that, for a first text...She sent me the song and I just gushed over her, basically reciprocating the love saying I am such a massive fan of yours, and I can't wait to work with you on this song. I haven't had the song out of my head since I heard it first, and it's been so hard to keep it a secret and now I don't have to and I'm relieved.”

Urie also dropped a hint that he and Swift have discussed performing the song together again at “certain shows.”

As for what is next for Panic! at the Disco, Urie said that he is excited to go home and take some time off to chill, watch television, and hang out with his fans online.

“I thought I would take a little more time off and I'm already starting music,” he confessed. “Not with anything planned in mind, but just working on some ideas. I can't help myself so I don't think it'll be too long before another Panic! record.”

You can watch the full video above to hear much more from Brendon Urie, and watch a clip of his BBMAs performance with Taylor Swift below.